


Printer Perfect

by corgs



Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, Pining everywhere, excessive use of texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 14:32:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9762485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corgs/pseuds/corgs
Summary: Wonshik wasn’t sure if the heat was playing tricks on his eyes but a modern day Adonis just said “excuse me” to him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was largely inspired by a personal encounter i had at the local print center except it didn't go anywhere LOL
> 
> I originally wrote this as a Hongbin pov story, but I decided to add Wonshik's pov (even though my ability to write from his pov is shoddy). There are only a few shared sections in both versions so each pov should read as a relatively new-ish story. 
> 
> [And some visualization](https://twitter.com/zeroo_cb/status/826886612734836736)

While the best type of job was the type of job where you got paid to do nothing for the majority of the day, Wonshik would rather bungee jump off the highest skyscraper in Seoul than be bored out of his mind for the last two hours of his shift. And he was scared of heights. But, bungee jumping didn’t pay the bills so there he was, sitting on the floor under the counter at work.

It was an alright gig– working at a print shop mostly meant printing stuff out on the right piece of paper and waiting for the person to come pick it up. Easy stuff and he usually got to see some cool shit done by people, like amazing digital paintings or photographs. He’s had the job for a few months now and kept it because it was close to his apartment. Juggling school work and his music with a day job was a pain to deal with in the beginning, but now he was able to manage. 

Sometimes lyrics will come to him, inspired by the prints that were ordered or by the people who came in, but they rarely lead to finished songs. When it came to external influences, Wonshik was never as inspired as he was when it came to his own thoughts and perceptions about life and society….or something along those lines.

Maybe he should write a song about how absolutely horrible this heat wave was because if Wonshik took even one step outside, he’d probably break into a sweat and stink up his shirt. Throw in something about love too, like how love can burn as passionately as a mid-summer heat wave, and he would be set. 

Wonshik stifled a yawn as he reorganized the various shelves of paper for probably the tenth time that month. He had been out late doing a rap set at the club and he neglected to grab caffeine before he left his place. Wonshik wasn’t paying much attention since it was such a simple task, so he almost caught himself falling asleep a few times. So when he suddenly heard a seemingly disembodied voice, he almost knocked over a pile of paper.

“Uh... Excuse me?”

He jumped and yelped before quickly turning around, hoping he wasn’t hearing things because the next worst thing behind bugs was ghosts. Wonshik had to do a quick double take, making sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Maybe this was a mirage conjured up by the heat because there was a modern day Adonis standing before him. He quickly blinked a few times and adjusted his glasses. Nope, there was a very tangible, very attractive human being standing less than ten feet from him.

“Oh, geez, sorry!” he could feel his face heating up, but he had to remember to be professional. The guy was a customer. A very pale one, but Wonshik wasn’t sure if the black tee just made his face look much paler than it actually was. It looked like he just got out of bed, hair barely kempt. This was the type of effortless beauty Wonshik had thought was fictitious but he guessed he was just proven wrong. Wonshik felt numb with shock and he wouldn’t be surprised if he was having heart palpitations at the moment. 

“It’s fine,” modern day Adonis smiled at him and oh shit, were those dimples? He wanted to touch them and poke them.

Modern day Adonis suddenly let out a laugh, but cut it off as soon as it came out of those soft lips. Oh god, he was definitely laughing at him. Probably.

“I’m not laughing at you or anything,” he explained with that wonderful smile, “I just remembered this funny picture.” No, Wonshik thought, he actually didn’t care about what Adonis was laughing at as long as he could hear more of it.

“But anyways, I’m here to pick up a print?” Adonis inquired. Geez, he needed a better mental name for the guy than Adonis.

“Oh, okay?” Wonshik said, feeling his body relax as he went into work mode. He pushed up his glasses, “Name?”

“Lee Hongbin,” Adonis– no, Hongbin, replied. “There should be five poster prints. I placed the order last night.” He took his wallet out and started looking through it, which Wonshik took as his cue to actually do his job.

Wonshik walked over to the side counter where completed orders were kept. They were organized by time ordered so if it was ordered last night, it should be towards the bottom of the pile. Wonshik flipped through each of the invoices that were sticking out from the small pile, looking for Adon– Hongbin’s (shit, he needed to stop) name. 

He frowned when he couldn’t find it and went to double check through it.“S–Sorry, give me a minute,” Wonshik called out.

“Take your time, I’m not in any rush.” Wonshik hoped his face wasn’t too red by the time he had to face Hongbin again because he couldn’t help but think about how nice Hongbin’s smile and voice were. It wasn’t as deep as Wonshik’s, however his voice was low in tone and somehow fluid like honey?

Wonshik didn’t have much of a reason to talk to him, but he sort of wanted to hear Hongbin’s voice again, “Mmm, huh, it’s not in this pile.” He moved over to the next pile, wondering if Hongbin would respond or if he thought Wonshik was talking to himself.

“Do you guys get a lot of orders?” He really wanted to record Hongbin’s voice– no, nope, he wasn’t a creep. That was weird and dangerous territory he was heading towards. Wonshik needed to focus on the task at hand.

“Not always,” Wonshik replied as he shuffled through the pile of prints, “just on certain days or during finals week. But I’d take this over working retail.” Many of his friends would complain about the struggles of dealing with people who didn’t understand the concept of coupons expiring and those crazy mothers who would yell about things the employees couldn’t control. Wonshik didn’t deal well with crazy nor angry so he avoided retail at all costs. 

“Been there, never doing it again,” Hongbin said wearily. “The A/C and employee discounts are great but it’s not worth dealing with angry people fifty times a day.”

“Yeah, I feel you,” Wonshik then found Hongbin’s order towards the bottom of the pile. He smiled victoriously as he took out the poster prints and brought them over to Hongbin, “Found them! Do you want to check and see if they’re alright?”

Hongbin nodded and went to examine each of his prints closely once Wonshik placed them down on the counter. Wonshik watched Hongbin look at each of the prints and  _ wow _ , they were gorgeous. Three of them looked like shots taken in the mountains, one was of the Han River with one of the bridges in the background, and the other of a saturated sunset taken at a beach. They looked like effortless shots that could be seen displayed in a celebrity’s home.

“This is exactly what I had in mind,” Hongbin said satisfied.

While there were people who got their own works printed, it wasn’t always the case. With Hongbin, Wonshik had a feeling he was the one behind the lense, “Did you take these?”

Hongbin raised his head after he nodded in confirmation. He shrugged at Wonshik, like it wasn’t that much of a big deal, “Some of them were a bitch to take but I never ignore the call of a good shot.”

Wonshik  _ ooh _ ’d in amazement as he went to ring Hongbin up, “They’re really pretty. I wish I had that sort of talent.” The shots were seriously so good– the harmony of the colors and the way the shots were framed made it feel like he was right there in the shot. Wonshik was far from an art critic but he knew good art when he saw it. He sort of wants one of the prints, but that would be inappropriate to ask. 

“I wouldn’t say I have talent or anything. I’m just lucky to be in the right place at the right time.” Hongbin looked off to the side shyly as he handed over his card to Wonshik, “If you have the passion for it, I’m sure you can do it too.”

Instead of laughing out loud and calling bullshit, Wonshik laughed politely with modesty, “Oh no, my hands are way too clumsy for it. I’d probably drop the camera off a cliffside.” Nevermind the countless times Wonshik had dropped his phone, or the embarrassing moments when he allowed his microphone to slip through his hand on stage. 

He handed Hongbin back his card after he slide it through the card reader. Hongbin took it amusedly, “Hey, one word. Tripod.”

This guy was really interesting to talk to, to say the least. Curse Hongbin’s all round perfection, “I think I’ll leave it to the phototaking-adept.”

“You never know until you try,” Hongbin singsonged cheerfully. Like a songbird. Shit, Wonshik really needed to stop. “Ah, I almost forgot, do you have any plastic poster sleeves for these?” 

Wonshik didn’t realize he was caught up in his thoughts until Hongbin asked him an actual question and stared at him, patiently waiting for an answer. He was definitely making a fool of himself now, “Yeah we do, just one second.” Wonshik hurriedly went over to one of the back drawers to retrieve them.

“You don’t need to pay for them,” Wonshik shook his hands at Hongbin when he returned with the plastic sleeves and saw Hongbin taking out his wallet.

Hongbin looked at him surprised, “Seriously? I don’t mind, I mean, they’re like two hundred won a piece.”

“They come with every print you order.”

“Huh, that’s good to know. This is my first time getting something printed here.” Yeah, Wonshik figured, considering he would remember if a ridiculously attractive guy just walked through the door.

“But yeah, thanks a lot,” Hongbin said after sliding each print into its own sleeve. Wonshik wished he could somehow convince Hongbin to hang around for a little longer so they could talk more. Besides the fact that Wonshik was bored out of his mind, Hongbin was good company (and easy on the eyes) and who knows when or if he’ll ever see him again? 

“Ah, no, thank you for your patronage,” Wonshik did his best to kick his disappointment to the curb and end on a happy note. “Have a fantastic day!”

Hongbin gave him a dazzling smile before he power-walked out, “You too!” Wonshik waited for him to disappear before he let out a big exhale filled with disbelief. Was it possible for a smile to render a man useless? Wonshik clutched the area over his heart– he was still alive, right? That smile was so bright and cute and so so lovely and a whole range of adjectives Wonshik had trouble conjuring up. 

He needed to tell someone about this fateful encounter. 

_ kim_shikie _ : hyung

_ kim_shikie _ : do gods live among us?

_ kim_shikie _ : cuz i think i just saw adonis

_ jung.taek _ : Are you on something

Wonshik was high on endorphins.

_ kim_shikie _ : i think i could wax poetry about his lips and dimples

_ kim_shikie _ : oh god, those dimples

_ kim_shikie _ : the way they frame his smile

_ jung.taek _ : Do you really need to wax poetry right here right now

_ kim_shikie _ : i have to before i forget all the small details about his face

_ kim_shikie _ : time is cruel

_ kim_shikie _ : the way his eyes crinkle up when he laughs!!!

_ kim_shikie _ : ill never forget it

_ jung.taek _ : If you like him so much why don’t you ask for his number

_ kim_shikie _ : i cant just ask a customer for their number

_ kim_shikie _ : besides he already left

_ jung.taek _ : Did he pick up poster prints?

_ kim_shikie _ : uh...yeah…? why would you know that?

_ jung.taek _ : What else would a customer at a print shop do

_ kim_shikie _ : true

_ jung.taek _ : I need to go run errands

_ jung.taek _ : Don’t bombard me with love sonnets

_ kim_shikie _ : ill try my best

Wonshik put his phone back in his pocket and stretched his arms up. He then swiped a blank piece of printer paper from under the counter and a pen from the register. The counter went up to the middle of his chest so Wonshik was able to comfortably lean his arms on it. He tapped the top of the pen against the blank piece of paper, staring at it with newfound determination. A few seconds later, he put pen to paper. 

_ I want to learn more about you _

He just needed to get the raw emotion down on paper before it faded. Wonshik wrote a few more sentences underneath. 

_ Eyes shining with every blink _

Right, he couldn’t forget the way Hongbin’s eyes seemed to shine as he looked at his art. It was pure and Wonshik could see that Hongbin held a lot of passion for photography. That sort of shine was something you would see in children, but would fade as they grew older into dreamless adults. It was energizing to interact with someone who could still exude such love for something.

_ I’m drawn towards you _

Absence made the heart grow fonder– was that possible with a person you just met?

\---

Wosnshik didn’t see Hongbin again for the rest of the week, which dashed Wonshik’s nonexistent hopes. The few sentences he managed to put together the day he met Hongbin had managed to evolve into actual verses that could become a song in the future. Usually, it would take Wonshik eons to write lyrics he liked, but that wasn’t the case this time. Now, Wonshik wasn’t a cheesey person, but he had to admit that Hongbin had unintentionally become his muse.

In hindsight, it made things worse for Wonshik. If he wasn’t desperately waiting for Hongbin’s return, he was desperately chasing after other sources of inspiration. It was as if his brain refused to produce ideas unless they were related to Hongbin and his beautiful laugh and slim fingers, etcetera etcetera.

A week later and Wonshik was still smitten. Maybe this was a sign that he needed to date or get laid, both of which he hasn’t done in a while. A hookup could help, but maybe not. At work, he spent a while going through his social media and contacts to see if there was anybody who could help take his mind off of Hongbin. With a heavy sigh, Wonshik closed his social media apps and adjusted his glasses. He leaned his cheek on his left hand as he drew small hearts all over a piece of scrap paper with his right.

It felt like he was in high school all over again, except worse. 

“Isn’t it too warm for long sleeves?” a familiar voice asked from behind. Wonshik had his back to the entrance, and much like last week, he was caught off guard again. He let out an involuntary yelp and whipped around to face the newcomer so fast that he felt his glasses move around. 

“Y–You scared me!” Wonshik placed a hand over his heart. “Hongbin-ssi, right?”

He was beyond surprised. Wonshik was just thinking about Hongbin and then, like the devil, he showed up. Except, Hongbin was anything but the devil. He looked a bit more put together compared to last week– his hair was much more tame. The dark tank top Hongbin was wearing under his flannel made Hongbin look slim enough for Wonshik to wonder how it would feel to wrap his arms around his waist.

Hongbin hummed in confirmation, “And you’re Wonshik. Oh, and you can drop the ssi.”

“How did you– oh, name tag,” Wonshik laughed at himself. But back to reality, “And, oh, are you sure?” 

Wonshik would love to be more familiar with Hongbin, but he was a customer and it would reflect poorly on Wonshik and the store. He wasn’t keen on getting his hours docked for mindlessly dropping honorifics.

“Yeah. Actually, how old are you?”

“Uh,” how old was he again? “I turned twenty-one this year?”

“Ah!” Hongbin lit up, which was the second most beautiful thing Wonshik had seen that day (the first being Hongbin himself), and leaned over the counter, “I’m turning twenty-one in a few months. We’re the same age! Just talk casually!”

He knew Hongbin looked young but to be the same age as Wonshik was such a nice coincidence. Regardless, Wonshik still felt a bit uneasy about the request, “But you’re a valued customer, I don’t think I should…”

“It’s cool man,” Hongbin waved his hand as if he was disregarding any future attempt at argument Wonshik wanted to make.

“If you say so…” Wonshik conceded and then jumped into work mode since he doubted Hongbin dropped by just to tell Wonshik that they should talk casually. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Your glasses are crooked, you know,” Hongbin stated instead, pointing his finger at Wonshik’s face.

“Huh? Wha–? Oh, yeah, they are. ” He hadn’t even noticed his glasses weren’t sitting straight on his nose so he adjusted them quickly. How embarrassing, “Thanks!”

“Are you here to pick up another order?”

“Yeah, three prints.” Hongbin was now looking straight at him, which made Wonshik want to shy away. Was there something on his face? Shirt? If he knew Hongbin was going to show up, he would have dressed a bit better. At least he wore his good pair of jeans today.  

“Give me a sec,” Wonshik quickly turned his back on Hongbin, thankful for a chance to collect himself. To think he was able to see Hongbin again was a blessing in itself and Wonshik wanted to yell his gratefulness towards the sky. He was as beautiful as last time, if not more. Hongbin’s hair looked so soft that Wonshik desired to feel it under his fingertips, brush those bangs out of his eyes.

The urge doesn’t fade, even after Hongbin had left with his stunning prints in tow. And, when Wonshik thought he was getting his attraction to Hongbin under control, Hongbin would pop into the store again. They only made small talk the first two or three times Hongbin had come in, but then they ended up talking five, ten minutes more than they usually did. Even though Hongbin took up only a small part of his day, Wonshik considered those miniscule minutes to be the highlight of his day– no, week.

He might only get to see Hongbin once or twice a week, but Wonshik was content with what he had. Befriending customers didn’t seem appropriate, so Wonshik didn’t try to push for anything more. Not like he would anyways because why would Hongbin want to be friends with him? He just happened to be the guy who worked at the print shop Hongbin happened to use. Just being in his presence was enough for Wonshik. He was well versed in admiring from afar and it was enough for to spark Wonshik’s inspiration to write.  

It all took a turn for the unbelievable when Hongbin asked him if he wanted to eat lunch together one day. Weirdly enough, he had been telling Taekwoon about how he wished he could see Hongbin outside of work the day before. Wonshik didn’t have enough brain capacity to dedicate towards figuring out the coincidence because he got Hongbin’s number and found out he was single. He also might have accidentally started babbling about how perfect Hongbin was to his face, and a slew of many other compliments that most likely gave away how much of a crush Wonshik was harboring for Hongbin.

Wonshik thought he was going to have a heart attack when Hongbin turned away and told Wonshik to not look at him. It sounded like rejection and Wonshik seriously wanted to kick himself in the balls until Hongbin admitted he was incredibly and flustered couldn’t face Wonshik for a solid seven minutes, if Wonshik was rounding up. So, it was possible Wonshik had a real chance with the other.

_ redbean93 _ : its so cool outside!!

Hongbin sent the first text around eight in the evening that same day. Wonshik chuckled, finding the message cute. He waited a bit before he responded– he didn’t want it to seem like he was staking out his messaging app for a text. 

_ kim_shikie _ : is it really? 

He was in his room with his laptop trying to make some progress on a new track, but Wonshik wasn’t making any headway. There was a window in his room that overlooked the main road, but he didn’t want to let the A/C out to feel the air outside. 

_ redbean93 _ : yeah!

_ redbean93: _ i love it

_ redbean93 _ : makes walking to the studio ez

_ kim_shikie _ : you have a studio?

_ redbean93 _ : ok well the universitys studio

_ kim_shikie _ : wait do you go to the uni thats like 5 blocks over from the bridge?

_ redbean93 _ : yeaah

_ redbean93 _ : do you?

_ kim_shikie _ : yea! 

_ kim_shikie _ : thats crazy! 

Wonshik was sure he would notice someone like Hongbin walking around campus. The campus was fairly large but it wouldn’t be too farfetched to assume he and Hongbin had crossed paths before around the quad. Though, if Hongbin was a photography major, that would be the reason why he hasn’t seen him around as the arts and music building were on opposite sides of campus.

_ kim_shikie _ : are you a photography major?

_ redbean93 _ : love it n hate it sometimes lol

_ redbean93 _ : what about you?

_ kim_shikie _ : music comp

_ redbean93 _ : woah what

_ redbean93 _ : ur into music?

_ redbean93 _ : do u write lyrics or make beats?

_ kim_shikie _ : yeah lol i do both

_ redbean93 _ : omg thats so cool u must be good at it

_ redbean93 _ : whats ur fav genre

_ kim_shikie _ : i like hip hop but i rlly like experimenting with everything

_ kim_shikie _ : and lol im not any better than the next person

_ kim_shikie _ : most of my ideas only hit me at night

_ redbean93 _ : i feel u i can only function at night lol

_ redbean93 _ : im at the studio rn so srry if i dont text back within a decent time

_ kim_shikie _ : nah its cool

_ kim_shikie _ : i rlly should be working on this track rn but im sorta procrastinating lol

_ redbean93 _ : send me the finished product!! i want to hear!!!

_ kim_shikie _ : lol alrite 

_ kim_shikie _ : sorta random but

_ kim_shikie _ : we shud hang sometime

_ redbean93 _ : yeah def!! u can show me how u work ur music magic lol

Except whenever Wonshik tried to plan something with Hongbin, their schedules never matched up. Wonshik usually spent his nights working on new tracks and performing at different clubs while Hongbin was held up at the studio almost every night. He knew they couldn’t do anything about it and texting helped a bit, but with every passing day, Wonshik wished he could hear Hongbin’s voice when he talked about the number of headshots he had gotten in Overwatch or about how he reveled in the serene lull of the city that could only be found at three in the morning.

A few times, Wonshik almost asked Hongbin if he wanted to grab some ramen at a convenience store at two in the morning, but he couldn’t muster up the courage. The most he could do was wish Hongbin a good night and pleasant dreams when it was clear Hongbin had fallen asleep mid-text. He would probably be criticized for accepting things with Hongbin as they currently were, but it was a comfortable place to be.

“You know how Park Hyoshin was casted for that musical?” Wonshik asked Hongbin over lunch a few weeks later. After their first lunch get together (or date, as Wonshik secretly liked to label it as), he and Hongbin had started getting lunch together every few days. Usually, they would go somewhere and try to make the most of their one hour together.

Hongbin immediately perked up when Wonshik mentioned Park Hyoshin and tore his attention from the wrap he was about to devour, “Yeah?”

“Isn’t his first musical show this weekend? We should go!” Hongbin’s happy demeanor deflated and Wonshik took a drink out of his coffee instead of rushing over to Hongbin’s side to offer him a comforting hug.

Wonshik watched Hongbin take a bitter bite out of his wrap, “I have to go to Jeju for a shoot with one of the guys in my department. If I knew Hyoshin’s first night was that weekend, I wouldn’t have taken the job.”

“What about Tuesday–” Wonshik then remembered he was performing at Utopia that night, “nevermind, I forgot I was busy that night.” He sighed. Why did he never have time?

Hongbin leaned his cheek on his hand with resignation, “It’s fine. There’s bound to be a date that works for both of us. Though, I didn’t know you were interested in his other activities?”

The guy was an absolute beast at singing, as Wonshik had started to learn after one too many youtube videos sent by his number one fan. Witnessing Hyoshin’s singing live and sharing the moment with Hongbin would be killing two birds with one stone.

“I guess,” Wonshik ate his lunch, mulling over the things he had to do for the next week. He felt like he wasn’t trying hard enough to work something out with Hongbin, but what could two busy college students with almost no money to their name do? Maybe he should take less shifts at the print shop or do less performances…  

Suddenly, Wonshik was nailed in the forehead with a balled up napkin, “Ah, hey! What was that for?”

Hongbin laughed at him, “You’re gonna get wrinkles if you keep on scrunching your brows together like that.” He then reached over the table to place his finger between Wonshik’s brows and pushed up.

Wonshik felt his glasses slide down his nose as he looked at Hongbin’s finger cross-eyed, eliciting even more laughter out of Hongbin.

“What?” Wonshik pouted, blushing as it felt like Hongbin was laughing at his expense. 

“Nothing. Just, don’t think too hard about it,” Hongbin retreated back into his seat, shaking his head. “I’ll probably cut back on the hours I spend in the studio after I get back from Jeju, but…”

Hongbin looked out the window with a small smile, “Even if we can only meet for a minute, I’d still treasure it with all my heart.”

Wonshik was dumbfounded– it sounded like Hongbin had just confessed to him. His mouth was probably hanging open and if this was a romance movie, he would grab Hongbin’s head and pull him into a hard kiss. But no, he shouldn’t. Wonshik didn’t want to read it wrong, didn’t want to fuck up what they currently had. He wasn’t a risk taker in respect to love– too scared to reach out in fear of everything disappearing.

“Ack! I can’t believe I just said that,” Hongbin shivered violently a second later. “That was way too mushy for me!”

Wonshik probably laughed louder than socially accepted in a public area but he couldn’t help it. Hongbin made him this way…why was he so painfully in love with Hongbin?

\---

“Hyung, can you look over a song later?” Wonshik accepted the glass of ice water the bartender handed off to him. His performance at Utopia went incredibly well, one of few things that brightened his mood lately. Hongbin had been busy the whole weekend with his shoot and Wonshik didn’t think much about it until he caught himself checking his phone way too often. He knew Hongbin would be too swamped to have the time to text Wonshik, but it didn’t stop his heart from missing him. The only remedy Wonshik could think of was translating his emotions into the written word. 

Taekwoon made a confirming noise, not bothering to look up from his phone. He knew Taekwoon from high school and ever since, he was the first person that saw whatever Wonshik was working on. Having a literature junkie at his disposal definitely had its perks.

“Who’d you bring with you anyways? I couldn’t get a good look from the stage but you two looked pretty cozy,” Wonshik poked Taekwoon’s phone until Taekwoon looked up at him. 

“A person,” was all Taekwoon gave Wonshik before he went back to his phone. 

“Obviously!” Wonshik sighed, taking his sunglasses off the top of his head to fiddle with them. It might seem silly to some people, but it was a part of his onstage persona. Gone was Wonshik the college student and up came Ravi the rapper, a guy full of swag and confidence that Wonshik seemed to lack in his everyday life. Hell, he invested in contacts to help make his rapper persona more believable because he knew his glasses made him look like a nerd.

“Come on hyung,” Wonshik leaned over to drape himself over Taekwoon’s body and pulled on his ear, “Hot date? A person you’re gonna hook up with later?”

Taekwoon pocketed his phone and faked an attempt to bite at Wonshik’s hand. Wonshik was unfazed, but decided to remove his hand so he could wrap his arms around Taekwoon, “I’m going to wipe all of my stinky sweat all over your shirt if you don’t spill.”

Instead of an answer, Wonshik got a hand violently pushing his face away. Wonshik relented, knowing that if Taekwoon set his mind on something, he wasn’t going to budge.

“Fine,” Wonshik leaned on the bar, detaching himself from Taekwoon. The mystery person will definitely come back so Wonshik just needed to bide his time.

“How’s your crush on that guy?” Taekwoon was visibly entertained by the question he just posed. Whenever it came to struggles, Taekwoon always found something humorful so long as those struggles weren’t his own. 

Wonshik glared at him, “So we can talk about my love life but not yours?”

Taekwoon bopped him on the head hard, “The kid I’m babysitting just went to the bathroom so you’ll meet him. Happy?” 

“Very,” Wonshik confirmed happily and then ingested a few mouthfuls of water. He wanted to ask more about “the kid” but they were going to meet inevitably so it didn’t matter, “And my heart is currently in tatters, thanks for asking.”

“He just went on a weekend trip,” Taekwoon deadpanned. He had told Taekwoon almost every detail about Hongbin, save for his actual name, so Taekwoon knew all that Wonshik knew. “If you like him this much, why don’t you just tell him how you feel.”

Which sounded like a terrible idea, thank you very much. One that could potentially spell disaster because what if Hongbin doesn’t feel the same? What if he didn’t even swing that way? There were times when Hongbin implied his impartiality to the concept of same sex love but it wasn’t like Wonshik could go up to Hongbin and ask what his sexual orientation was out of the blue. 

“Nope, no go,” Wonshik crossed his arms into an x, “we talked about this before.”

“And I told you I thought you were being too thickskinned,” Taekwoon swiped Wonshik’s water for himself. “You always were a masochist when it came to romance.”

“I–I am, well no, I’m…!” Wonshik growled in frustration, tugging at his hair. “It’s called being deficient in confidence, something you wouldn’t get.”

Taekwoon shrugged, not caring too much about the accusation, “So I’m not a coward.”

“Taekwoonie-hyung!” someone then called out. Wonshik identified the call coming from a guy, around Taekwoon’s height, who was running toward Taekwoon with open arms. He watched Taekwoon allow the guy to wrap himself around his chest and glanced at Taekwoon for an explanation.

“Hyung…” Wonshik leaned his head forward to get a good look at the guy who was happily rubbing his head against Taekwoon’s shoulder, “is he even legal?”

“I’m not a baby!” the guy (more like kid) yelled at him, surprising Wonshik. Woah, fiesty.

“Chill man, I wasn’t saying you’re a baby,” even though Wonshik sort of thought he was.

“Sanghyuk, don’t be mean. He’s older than you,” Taekwoon reprimanded the kid– Sanghyuk– softly and chopped his neck.

“Uh…” Wonshik was waiting for Taekwoon to explain why he had jailbait clinging onto him.  

However, Taekwoon took a glass of water and urged Sanghyuk’s mouth open.“This is Sanghyuk. I’m babysitting him,” Taekwoon tilted the glass to get the water to flow faster, “He turned nineteen last week.”

Sanghyuk frowned at Taekwoon and bit Taekwoon’s shoulder, “I’m not a baby…”

“Baby,” Taekwoon stated with finality, unfazed. “This is Wonshik, a friend from high school.”

Sanghyuk instantly lit up and released himself, “Oooh! What was Taekwoonie like in high school? Was he just as broody and angsty as he is now? Did he chase stray cats? Was he emotionally stunted?” Either Sanghyuk didn’t fear Taekwoon or he was too wasted to properly remember to tack on honorifics, but Wonshik was starting to like this kid.

Wonshik snorted, “He was pretty much the same and yeah, he did chase after stray cats with cans of tuna. In regards to his emotions, he didn’t know how to use them until recently.”

“Yah,” Taekwoon hissed and kicked Wonshik’s shin, stirring laughter from both Wonshik and Sanghyuk. 

“So what’s your relation to this lovely hyung?” Wonshik asked Sanghyuk, who motioned for Wonshik to come in close. 

“We’re eloping,” Sanghyuk stage-whispered into Wonshik’s ear. Interesting. 

“No, we are not,” Taekwoon corrected, tugging Sanghyuk back by his hair. 

“Don’t let hyung go too crazy with the cats,” Wonshik punched Sanghyuk’s shoulder casually. “It was nice to meet you man. You should learn your limit. It’ll save you a lot of trouble in the future.” Might as well embark some wisdom onto an overzealous, freshly legal kid. 

“Thanks hyung!” Sanghyuk reciprocated the punch with a slap to Wonshik’s shoulder, though with much more force behind it. 

“Anyways, I’m going to head home now. I’m planning on debuting the song I’m going to send you at Elysium in two weeks,” Wonshik said, stretching his arms up.

Taekwoon nodded at him and Sanghyuk waved goodbye as Wonshik made his escape out of the crowded club and into the cool night. He tilted his head up and took a deep breath, taking in the absence of humidity.

_ kim_shikie _ : its a nice night out

_ kim_shikie _ : like if light pollution wasnt a thing itd be good weather to see the stars

_ redbean93 _ : ughh you make me want to go outside now!!

Later on, Taekwoon told him that his song sounded incredibly desperate, like Wonshik was for Hongbin.

\---

Wonshik took several deep breaths, mussed up his hair, took off and put back on his sunglasses, fiddling with his earrings, and jumped around a bit in the back room. This was his pre-show prep, born from his nervous tics. It helped to get rid of the excess energy rumbling under his skin and ensured he wouldn’t fuck up too many words. But, if he was showcasing a new song, the jitters were worse. 

He wanted the crowd to enjoy the new song and he wanted to perform it perfectly. Being a perfectionist never did make Wonshik’s life easy, but tonight was a bit different. This was the first song he had actually completed that was born from his fragmented scrawls written at his day job. It was also the first song Wonshik finished that was inspired by his relationship with Hongbin. The genre was a bit different from his usual stuff but he was scared the audience would reject his heart and emotions. Wonshik was putting everything out there in one song for the world to witness.         

“Yo, what’s good everybody?!” Wonshik jumped onto the stage once it was his turn to perform. The crowd cheered loudly and he heard some people calling out his stage name. Wonshik cocked his head to the side and stretched his shoulder muscles a bit before putting the mic back up to his mouth. 

“Nice! Let’s keep this energy goin’!” he bopped his head in encouragement as the crowd raged on. Everybody was getting pumped, probably due in part to the alcohol in their bloodstreams, but performing for a hyped up crowd made it easier to hit every word so Wonshik didn’t mind.

“I’ve got a new song lined up that I’ve been workin’ on for a while and I can’t wait to show you guys. It’s different from my usual stuff but I hope you guys enjoy it!” Wonshik laughed slowly into the mic, adjusting his sunglasses like he would with his regular glasses.

“But that’s not goin’ to be ‘til the end of the show,” he then pointed to the DJ, who nodded at him and turned on his first track, “Now let’s get puuumped!”

Having done tens of performances, Wonshik knew what to look out for in the crowd. If he noticed some people taking out their phones, he would perform a dance track. If the crowd was starting to lose energy, he would get them to start cheering like he did at the beginning. Crowd reading was an art Wonshik quickly developed but he couldn’t do anything about people flat out disliked the genre of music.

After several tracks and pulling some of his rapper friends on stage, Wonshik decided to end his set with the new song he had sent Taekwoon two weeks prior. Over the last two weeks, Wonshik had tweaked around with the song obsessively wanting it to be perfect and today was finally the day. 

“This next song is a song I’ve poured a lot of love into,” Wonshik confessed after he rehydrated himself. He fixed his sunglasses and scratched the back of his neck with a bashful smile, “It’s about two people who are in love but can never seem to catch each other.”

The crowd aww’d at him and Wonshik had to move the mic away so he could laugh, “There’s a person I really like and he inspired this piece, but I made up half of the lyrics so don’t bash him.”

Some of the lyrics were fictitious, but the majority of the lyrics were about his and Hongbin’s relationship. It was cliché but Wonshik wrote most the verses when he was missing Hongbin the most.  

“He’s a really funny guy and ok, I’m not here to preach about him,” Wonshik continued on, but had to stop himself from monologuing about Hongbin. He had a show to end, “Anyways, my friend Yonghwa-hyung helped me with most of the vocal stuff since y’all know I’m not the best singer.”

“You sing fine Ravi-ah!” a girl up front yelled, shocking him. Wonshik shook his head hard, “You’re just biased! Anyways, get up here Yonghwa-hyung and show off your voice.”

Wonshik clapped his hands together and watched Yonghwa, who was standing off to the side waiting for his turn, approach the stage and pull Wonshik into a quick hug.

“Time to let the world know how desperate you are,” Yonghwa snickered to him lowly as he retrieved two high stools.

“Please don’t do this to me right now,” Wonshik groaned into Yonghwa’s ear, accepting the stool with both hands. 

Once he was situated on the stool, one leg on the stage and the other on one of the support rods, Wonshik nodded to the DJ.

“This is Home Alone. Hope you guys like it.” 

_ Home alone on the holidays _ __  
_ Weekends without you _ _  
_ __ Are just like the weekdays

Once Yonghwa flawlessly sang his lines, Wonshik brought the mic up to rap, praying he won’t mess up. 

_ Baby, are you busy? _ __  
_ Should I call you back later? _ __  
_ It’s not a big deal _ __  
_ But I know you like Park Hyoshin _ __  
_ This musical he’s in _ _  
_ __ First show’s this weekend

_ So if you have time _ __  
_ I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, I know _ __  
_ Of course work _ __  
_ Comes first, I know _ _  
_ __ Oh well, then how about Tuesday?

Wonshik could feel his lips moving into a sad smile as he recalled how many of their plans fell through. They’d try to find a time that would work until they burned themselves out and gave up.

_ Oh wait, Tuesday I work overtime _ _  
_ _ I’m sorry, ok I’ll let you go _

_ As soon as I hang up _ __  
_ I miss you, I miss you _ __  
_ I miss you, I miss you _ __  
_ I don’t even have any damn money _ _  
_ __ But why don’t I even have the time

Wonshik did his best to not let his voice crack as he rapped. He was thankful he had sunglasses on because then nobody could see him cringing. When he wished Hongbin good night, or when they went their separate ways after hanging out for a bit, Wonshik would immediately long after him. He had a problem. A really painful problem. 

The rest of the song went similarly and once it ended, the crowd applauded vigorously. After they bowed, he high-fived Yonghwa before he left the stage. 

“That’s all I’ve got for tonight guys! Thanks for coming and supporting me!” Wonshik waved at everyone and then threw out a hand kiss before he walked off the stage. He made his way through the crowd, yelling his thanks to the shouts of praise. Once he made it to the back room, he immediately stripped off his sweat-drenched black t-shirt and necklaces so he could towel himself off. He grabbed a dry shirt that he brought and threw it on. 

Another show, another success. Wonshik could feel a weight lift off his shoulders after he performed the track he had been pouring so much effort into for the better part of the last two months. Now, he thought he spotted Taekwoon near the bar so he planned to head over there before going back home and into the comfort of his bed (after a shower, that is).

Wonshik put his sunglasses back on and quickly sprayed himself with cologne before going back out into the much too warm club. He got many more words of praise as he made his way to the bar, and saw some friends mixed into the crowd. Wonshik gave them all quick greetings before ducking away to the bar. 

When he saw Taekwoon, Wonshik recognized Sanghyuk who looked drunk. Again. Damn, the kid really needed to take it slow. 

“Hyung, you came!” Wonshik called out to Taekwoon, who directed his attention from Sanghyuk to Wonshik.      

“Of course I did, stupid.” Taekwoon rolled his eyes and then gestured to Sanghyuk, “You already know Sanghyuk.”

Wonshik snorted, “You let him drink? He’s like a baby!” He then placed his hand on Sanghyuk’s shoulder, “Drink some water man. No more alcohol.” 

“Okaay mom number two,” Sanghyuk slurred out happily. 

“And this is–” Taekwoon motioned to the person on his other side, whose back was turned to Wonshik. The person twirled around, cutting off Taekwoon, “Hongbin and I’m tipsy at best. I’m not the biggest fan of rap but I thought you were pretty good and classy so cheers.” Hongbin then knocked back a shot and gave Wonshik his classic dimple smile.  

Except Wonshik didn’t even register half of what happened because for one, he was absolutely stunned that Hongbin was here and two, holy shit he looked really fucking hot. The outfit was simple– gray tee and jeans– but his bangs were swept up and out to reveal his forehead and he had on a bit of eyeliner. In short, holy shit he looked really fucking hot.

“Hongbin?!” Wonshik squeaked out after staring at Hongbin for much too long. Hongbin smiled awkwardly at him, “Yeah, that’s me?” Why was Hongbin acting like he didn’t know him?

Wonshik felt someone kick his leg. 

“Take off your sunglasses. You’re going to mess up your eyes like that,” Taekwoon scolded him and he pouted at Taekwoon in response. 

“They make me look cool.”

Taekwoon grabbed Sanghyuk and walked off, “We’re going over there so you can work things out.” Work what out?

“Holy fucking shit, Wonshik?” Hongbin yelled, causing Wonshik to jump. He took off his sunglasses and hung them from his shirt collar.

“Holy fucking shit,” Hongbin repeated, pointing at Wonshik’s face utterly confused.

“Holy _fucking_ _shit_!”

“Uh–” Wonshik was confused and shocked– confused because what was Hongbin yelling about and shocked because he doesn’t think he’s ever heard Hongbin swear so much within a given minute. 

“You were hiding this kind of body under all of those button ups?!” Hongbin jabbed his finger into Wonshik’s stomach. He then grabbed Wonshik’s bicep and squeezed it in amazement. Wonshik let Hongbin prob at his body, even though he still wasn’t sure what was going on.

“And your forehead. It  _ exists _ ,” Hongbin pointed at it, and then at Wonshik’s eyes. Wonshik stared at the finger, wondering if Hongbin was going to poke him anywhere else. 

“What is with this stage gap?!?” he then motioned at Wonshik’s whole body. Did...did Hongbin not recognize him on stage? “You look weird without your glasses.” 

At least that was something he could respond to. Wonshik covered his face in a fit of laughter, “ _ Really _ ? Everybody says the same thing.”

Hongbin crossed his arms with a scowl, “Yeah, well, you look super different, like a different person weird.”

“Is there anything else?” Wonshik wiped a tear from his eye.

“No I, wait–” Hongbin covered his mouth and turned himself a bit away, “Was that song about me?”

“Oh.” He just broadcasted his feelings for Hongbin to the world,  _ including  _ Hongbin. Could the earth please swallow Wonshik up? Wonshik had just fucked up. 

“Oh god. I can’t believe I said all of that stuff on stage,” When it didn’t look like the earth was going to open up under his feet, Wonshik went up to the bar so he could bury his face in absolute horror. “I didn’t know you were going to be here…”

“So, you really like me, huh?” Wonshik heard Hongbin say with a giggle. Was he about to be mocked and mercilessly teased? 

Wonshik groaned, “Oh god, please kill me.” 

“When I was listening to that song, I thought about you the whole time,” Hongbin began. “About how I hate how we can’t meet up outside of that one hour and how I’m always missing you when we aren’t talking.”

Wonshik slowly raised his head, “What?” Did someone slip something into his water earlier or?

“What happened to all that swagger you had before? Do I really need to spell it out?!” Hongbin cried out sullenly. Wonshik didn’t understand what Hongbin was talking about– he was still stuck on the whole “I thought about you the whole time” part. 

“I–” Hongbin snagged his hand around the collar of Wonshik’s shirt, knocking against his sunglasses. Holy shit.

“Really–” Wonshik stopped breathing.

“Like–” Their noses were touching now and minor detail, but Hongbin smells very fruity. He unintentionally looked down at Hongbin’s lips, soft and plump as usual, then back up at Hongbin. 

“You–” Oh, now there were lips over Wonshik’s. Lips that belonged to Hongbin. They were definitely as soft as they looked and okay! That was a tongue.  

“Too.” Hongbin moved away and patted him on the shoulder like Wonshik had done a good job. Wonshik blinked a few times, his mind still processing the latest turn of events. He numbly touched his lips gently and tentatively licked them. 

“Am I dead?” Hongbin stared blankly at him with disbelief. 

“You’re going to be if you don’t stop looking like a fish out of water,” Hongbin hissed at him. “I should be the one surprised that the dorky cute boy-next-door printer shop guy is also a sexy, ripped rapper in his free time, oh–!”

Hongbin thought he was a dorky cute boy-next-door and a sexy ripped individual. He thought Wonshik was cute and sexy. Hongbin liked him back. Adonis  _ liked _ him back. And Wonshik wanted to kiss Hongbin’s pissed off expression his face.   

Wonshik grabbed Hongbin by the waist and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Hongbin gasped in surprise and then hummed happily as he wrapped his arms around Wonshik’s neck. He knew he would like the feel of holding Hongbin’s waist– it was small and fit perfectly in his arms.

Maybe now Wonshik would finally have enough courage to ask Hongbin if he would like to share a bowl of late night ramen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> ~~jokes on you, you just read a songfic~~  
>  also the italicized lyrics at the beginning are reworded lyrics from rose


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongbin knew he and his wallet were fucked when he was greeted by the cutest, happiest guy to ever exist in the dead heat of summer.

Summers in the city were terribly uncomfortable– you couldn’t go outside for more than a second if you didn’t want to risk drowning in your sweat and the rain was anything but refreshing. Hongbin may technically reside in Seoul but he had spent the majority of his life up in the mountains with his grandmother where he didn’t need to change his shirt twice a day when it was thirty-five degrees Celsius.

Hongbin went nocturnal during the summer months when the heat waves became unbearable. If he needed to go out, he would leave his little apartment during the evening hours to go get shit done. He would go to the studio after dinner and won't leave until midnight when the air was actually breathable. 

So, suffice to say, Hongbin was anything but a happy camper when he had to walk to a print shop on a sunny afternoon from his perfectly cool apartment. His printer had finally kicked the can last night and to say Hongbin was absolutely devastated was an understatement. Given normal circumstances, Hongbin would have waited the few days to get a new one shipped but he needed to get his prints printed immediately to send to his grandmother for her birthday.

Sanghyuk recommended a good print shop to him but it closed much earlier than Hongbin expected so leaving his apartment before four was unavoidable but  _ damn it _ his grandmother was worth it.

By the time he reached Dynamite Prints, Hongbin could feel his armpits sweating through his black t-shirt (he realized the mistake of black clothing when he was halfway to his destination). The small shop had large windows that showed everything inside, and a few posters taped on said windows detailing various promotions. Hongbin wiped the sweat that was trickling down the side of his face with the back of his hand before he pulled open the door.

As soon as he did so, he could feel the goosebumps raise up on his arms from the sudden draft of cold air. While it gave him relief from the heat, it turned his sweat cold and sticky against his skin. Hongbin rubbed his hands over his arms as he strolled up to the main counter.

“Uh…” Hongbin cleared his throat awkwardly, “Excuse me?” There was a person behind the counter with his back towards the entrance of the store, shuffling through the shelves of paper. Hongbin guessed the guy didn’t hear him come in, but man he hated opening his mouth more than needed and who knew when the guy would turn around of his own accord.

The guy yelped and whipped his head around, panic emitting from his body. Hongbin’s first thought was something along the lines of,  _ ‘Oh my god, he looks so nerdy _ . _ ’ _ The employee– Wonshik, if he was going by the name tag– just…everything radiated nerd. 

He had on big round glasses, a thin pink collared short sleeve that was buttoned up, save for the topmost one, tucked into dark blue khaki shorts. His hair was straight and a quarter of it was parted to the side while the rest hung over his forehead. Honestly, if the guy got rid of the glasses, styled his hair up, snapped a Rolex on, and threw on a pair of boat shoes, he would look like a stereotypical trust fund kid. 

“Oh, geez, sorry!” Wonshik quickly apologized, flustered, face pink, shoulders tensed. Hongbin wasn’t expecting the guy to have a deep voice and he was surprised at how soft and joyful it sounded. What a mismatch.  

Hongbin smiled with understanding at him, “It’s fine.”

Actually, Hongbin would very much pay to see a blushing and shy trust fund kid. The thought was funny enough to cause him to accidentally laugh out loud, which startled Wonshik. Hongbin snuffed out his laugh as soon as it came out of his mouth, though Wonshik looked insecure, “I’m not laughing at you or anything– I just remembered this funny picture. But anyways, I’m here to pick up a print?”

“Oh, okay?” Wonshik visibly relaxed, pushing the bridge of his glasses up, “Name?”

“Lee Hongbin,” Hongbin supplied as he took out his wallet, “There should be five poster prints. I placed the order last night.”

Wonshik walked a few feet over to one of the side counters. There were a few stacks of other orders with various invoices sticking out of each of them in different places. It looked like it would take a while so Hongbin leaned his body against the front counter. Might as well get comfortable. 

“S–Sorry, give me a minute,” Wonshik said as he began shuffling through the piles.

Hongbin smiled again, “Take your time, I’m not in any rush.” He made sure Wonshik wasn’t looking before he began to silently laugh to himself, curled hand covering his mouth.

Holy shit, this guy was so adorable.

“Mmm,” Wonshik mumbled as he moved on to the next pile, “Huh, it’s not in this pile.”

Hongbin composed himself as best as he could before he opened his mouth, “Do you guys get a lot of orders?”

“Not always, just on certain days or during finals week,” Wonshik replied absentmindedly as he flipped through more prints with determination, “But I’d take this over working retail.”

“Been there, never doing it again,” Hongbin shivered, the memories coming back to him. “The A/C and employee discounts are great but it’s not worth dealing with angry people fifty times a day.”

“Yeah, I feel you,” then Wonshik made a small  _ ah-ha _ noise and pulled out a few prints from the pile he was searching through. He had a little triumphant smile plastered on his face as he carried the small posters to Hongbin, “Found them! Do you want to check and see if they’re alright?”

Hongbin nodded and sifted through his prints once Wonshik placed them down. He had his reservations about having a third party print his stuff, mostly because he didn’t know how their ink interacted with the paper and how it would affect the print’s colors, but everything looked great. “This is exactly what I had in mind.” 

“Did you take these?” Wonshik inquired as Hongbin examined his prints. Three of them were nature shots taken at different times of the day, one of the Han River, and another of a sunset at a beach he visited during the winter. 

Hongbin nodded, he remembered every single shot and the pains he went to take them, “Some of them were a bitch to take but I never ignore the call of a good shot.”

“Oooh,” Wonshik turned to punch a few keys into the register, “They’re really pretty. I wish I had that sort of talent.” He earnestly looked impressed and appreciative of the prints. He must be hallucinating but Hongbin swears Wonshik was... _ sparkling _ with admiration. His fingers were itching to take a picture.  

“I wouldn’t say I have talent or anything. I’m just lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” Hongbin looked off to the side bashfully as he handed his card over to Wonshik, “If you have the passion for it, I’m sure you can do it too.”

Wonshik laughed shyly as he returned Hongbin’s card, adjusting his glasses, “Oh no, my hands are way too clumsy for it. I’d probably drop the camera off a cliffside!”

“Hey, one word,” Hongbin tucked his card back into his wallet and pointed at Wonshik, “Tripod.”

Wonshik raised his brows in humor, upturning his eyes, “I think I’ll leave it to the phototaking-adept.”

“You never know until you try,” Hongbin singsonged. “Ah, I almost forgot, do you have any plastic poster sleeves for these?”

“Yeah we do, just one second,” Wonshik then turned around and did a cute waddle-run to one of the back drawers. All the while, Hongbin wondered how anybody could naturally radiate this much cuteness and cheerfulness.

Wonshik shortly returned with the plastic sleeves and slid them across the counter to Hongbin. Hongbin went to take his wallet out again, but Wonshik frantically shook his hands at him to stop, “You don’t need to pay for them.”

Well, that was new, “Seriously? I don’t mind, I mean, they’re like two hundred won a piece.”

“They come with every print you order.”

Hongbin whistled lowly, “Huh, that’s good to know. This is my first time getting something printed here.” He quickly slid each print into a sleeve, “But yeah, thanks a lot.”

“Ah, no, thank you for your patronage, ” Wonshik jumped. “Have a fantastic day!” 

How four words could paralyze Hongbin was beyond him but his brain had proceeded to short circuit as a result. It felt amazing to have someone tell him to have a fantastic day and mean it, especially in that slightly pitched, optimistic voice Wonshik just used.

“You too!” Hongbin gave him one last smile then bolted. He didn’t even register the sudden wall of heat that hit his body once he opened the door and fled the business until he was at the end of the block. 

After quickly searching his surroundings to make sure no one was around, Hongbin freaked the hell out. He started hopping in jittered spurts and made appropriate freak out noises. Once the urge to flip out passed, Hongbin rushed to take his phone out.

_ redbean93 _ : hFaflkajLWal

_ redbean93 _ : THE GUY AT THE PRINT STORE WAS SO FUCKING FLAKVMA??????

_ redbean93 _ : HOW CAN ANYBODY BE SO HAPPY IN THIS HELLISH WEATHER???!?!??!?!!?

_ redbean93 _ : HOW CAN ANYBODY WORK THE ADORABLE NERD LOOK SO GOOOOOD?????????

_ redbean93 _ : ??????????????????????????????????

_ cha.nnn _ : What is flakvma???

_ j.hwanie _ : you went outside??? (」゜ロ゜)」

_ j.hwanie _ : aren’t you a vampire??? (๑•̆૩•̆)

_ hshyuk _ : who tf is this and what have u done with the sourpuss hyung we all know and tolerate?

_ hshyuk _ : the real hongbin-hyung hates ppl!!!! 

_ j.hwanie _ : are you burning???

_ cha.nnn _ : Is anybody going to answer my question?! (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ )

_ hshyuk _ : he was hitting random letters @pabo-hyung

_ cha.nnn _ : YAH!!!!

_ j.hwanie _ : LOL

_ hshyuk _ : lol

_ redbean93 _ : i hate u all

_ hshyuk _ : pics or it didnt happen

_ j.hwanie _ : did you get his number??? (*「･ω･)ﾝ？

_ redbean93 _ : yes i went outside

_ jung.taek _ : Congratulations

_ redbean93 _ : ty hyung

_ redbean93 _ : no im not a vampire yes i probably have sunburn now

_ redbean93 _ : no i didnt get his number and no pic bc im not a creep 

_ hshyuk _ : wuss lololol

_ redbean93 _ : point is

_ redbean93 _ : how can anybody be so happy and actually legit be happy????????? 

_ cha.nnn _ : (๑•ૅૄ•๑) I’m a happy person? 

_ j.hwanie _ : same ^

_ cha.nnn _ : Maybe you should go out and meet more people.

_ hshyuk _ : lol pabo-hyung just called you a shut in

_ redbean93 _ : I’M NOT A SHUT IN

_ cha.nnn _ : That’s not what I was saying! And stop calling me that!!

_ jung.taek _ : Pabo-yeon

_ cha.nnn _ : Taekwoon, don’t encourage them!!

_ redbean93 _ : w/e you guys wouldnt get it

_ redbean93 _ : wouldnt know an angel if it punched u in the face

_ j.hwanie _ : ( ﾟｰﾟ) didn’t hakyeon-hyung go as an angel that one year for halloween?

_ hshyuk _ : more like a demon

_ hshyuk _ : oops i didnt say that

_ hshyuk _ : who said that????

_ cha.nnn _ : HAN

_ cha.nnn _ : SANG

_ cha.nnn _ : HYUK

\---

Once Hongbin got home and showered, he laid his prints out on his floor. He stared at them for a few seconds before he started uncontrollably (and uncharacteristically) squealing to himself. What the hell was wrong with him all of the sudden? He only ever got like this whenever he got a new skin for his video game characters or obtained a game he’d been anticipating for months. 

Hongbin fell over on his side and rested his head on the laminated wood floor, tracing the outline of the mountains on one of his prints– hours later and Wonshik was still stuck in his head. Nevermind the guy being on his mind though... why was he acting like a sixteen year old shoujo manga protagonist who has been secretly fangirling over the cool popular guy?  

He needed to know how a ten minute interaction could turn him into a mess. Hongbin casted his eyes up to his desk where his laptop was propped open. He wanted to see him again. 

\---

It’s not like Hongbin decided to dress himself up a bit better in an attempt to charm Wonshik, but rather he’d like to improve his visual image from last week’s  _ I just rolled out of bed and I give no fucks _ . So today, he’s got a dark tank top on under a thin flannel over shorts and he made sure his hair was presentable before he embarked. As he walked, Hongbin kept on reminding himself to play it cool and not come off as a weirdo. The last thing he wanted was to blow his chances.

Ten minutes later, Hongbin arrived and entered the print store. He made sure to come again at the same time, deducing Wonshik had the afternoon shift. Luckily, Wonshik was working, his back towards the entrance again. Today, Wonshik was dressed in what appeared to be a blue button up and navy jeans that drew the eye to his butt. Hongbin may have been a tad bit glad to see Wonshik in such an outfit. 

“Isn’t it too warm for long sleeves?” Hongbin asked aloud when there was no sign of Wonshik turning around. Much like the other day, Wonshik yelped and jumped. 

Wonshik put his hand over his heart, glasses askew, “Y–You scared me! Hongbin-ssi, right?”

Hongbin hummed happily in confirmation, “And you’re Wonshik. Oh, and you can drop the ssi.”

“How did you– oh, name tag,” Wonshik laughed sheepishly to himself. “And, oh, are you sure?”

Hongbin nodded, “Yeah. Actually, how old are you?”

“Uh,” Wonshik paused, “I turned twenty-one this year?”

“Ah!” Hongbin lit up, leaning over the counter, “I’m turning twenty-one in a few months. We’re the same age! Just talk casually!”

Wonshik’s expression scrunched together in uncertainty, “But you’re a valued customer, I don’t think I should...”

Hongbin waved his hand in disagreement, “It’s cool man.”

“If you say so…” Wonshik trailed off, but then remembered what he was supposed to be doing, “Can I help you with anything?”

_ Yeah _ , Hongbin thought,  _ tell me why you make my heart beat so fast _ .

“Your glasses are crooked, you know,” was what Hongbin decided to say.

“Huh? Wha–? Oh, yeah, they are,” Wonshik used both of his hands to adjust his frames, “Thanks!”

It only took Hongbin a minute of being in Wonshik’s presence for him to realize he was very much gone. He definitely developed a crush for the guy within the last week. The kind of crush that could instantly grow into agonizing pining if left unmonitored.  

“Are you here to pick up another order?”

“Yeah, three prints.” In reality, his new printer came in a few days ago so Hongbin didn’t actually need to spend the extra money to get it printed at the store. But, he guessed it was a price he didn’t mind paying if it gave him an excuse to see Wonshik. Hell, he’d crossed the desert just to hear his cheerful voice.

“Give me a sec,” Wonshik replied happily as he went to get Hongbin’s order. 

Hongbin ended up making light conversation with Wonshik before leaving the store. The conversation went similarly as it did the previous week and Hongbin left with the same exact feeling of contentedness. 

He goes back again later on in the week, and then again a week from that. His bank account was starting to look low, but he couldn’t exactly tell his parents he was spending copious amounts of money just to talk to a guy for five to ten minutes. Worse comes to worse, he’ll just spend less on junk food and other things he could live without. 

It was another day and Hongbin was looking through his photos to pick which ones to print when his phone dinged. Hongbin peered over at his phone screen before it dimmed and saw Taekwoon had sent him a message. 

_ jung.taek _ : You should ask him out to lunch

Hongbin stared at his phone like it grew a head because it might as well have. Since when did Taekwoon ever give out advice of his own volition? He blinked at the message a few times, which was sent to him individually, and then pulled up the keyboard.

_ redbean93 _ : wat

_ jung.taek _ : I know you know how to read

_ redbean93 _ : there are a million and one reasons why i shouldnt

_ redbean93 _ : and since when were you a matchmaker??

_ jung.taek _ : Just do it

_ redbean93 _ : thats not a vry good reason

_ jung.taek _ : Trust me

Hongbin gave the message a skeptical once over. Taekwoon may be ballsy enough to ask another person out to lunch if he really liked them, but not Hongbin. He was outright incapable of courting another person, only ever admiring from afar, unless the other person had more confidence than Hongbin. 

_ redbean93 _ : what if he says no???

_ jung.taek _ : Then you can stop wasting your money printing stuff and none of us have to hear you fanboy over him

_ jung.taek _ : The cafe on 5th has good lattes and sandwiches

_ redbean93 _ : what do i wear??

_ redbean93 _ : help me o wise one

_ jung.taek _ : You could show up in your pajamas and you’d still be fine

_ jung.taek _ : Have more faith in your face

_ redbean93 _ : tf is that suppose to mean?

\---

Needless to say, Hongbin took the leap because if Taekwoon believed in him, then he must be doing something right...right? At least he was more realistic and helpful than Hakyeon and Jaehwan who couldn't see why Hongbin was struggling. And now here Hongbin stood, dressed casually because he doesn’t want to look like he was trying too hard but he still did his hair.

Hongbin sucked in a big breath, and exhaled right before he pushed through the door of Dynamite Prints. Usually, Hongbin would pop in around early afternoon so he prayed that Wonshik also worked before noon and be available for lunch. If Wonshik wasn’t there, Hongbin had decided he would give up on Wonshik because he doesn’t think his heart, or wallet, could take it any longer. 

“Hey, Hongbin!” Wonshik waved at him with a courteous smile as soon as Hongbin walked in.

Maybe he should give up right now. Yeah, he doesn’t think he can look at that smile without melting into a bumbling mess. And the way Wonshik made his deep voice sound so light made Hongbin’s heart beat that much faster.  

“Yo,” Hongbin shoved his hands into his pocket, making his way to the counter. What the hell kind of greeting was “yo”?

“How are you?” Fantastic and absolutely scared shitless. Fantastic because he was in Wonshik’s presence. Absolute scared shitless because he was about to make a move on him and was starting to second guess himself. 

“Well it’s not that hot out, so I’m great,” Hongbin replied, “How about you?”

“That’s good to hear! I've been doing well.” Wonshik then leaned his forearms on the counter, “So, what brings you in? I don’t think I saw your name on any of the batches?”

Did Wonshik actually look for his name? Hongbin had to fight the ecstatic smile that threatened to appear, but then shook himself out of it. No, it probably doesn’t mean anything special. Wonshik probably knew all the names of people who regularly got things printed and Hongbin has gotten a lot printed in the last three weeks. This was probably a normal thing for the other. 

Hongbin laughed sheepishly to himself, “Oh, yeah. I was, uh– I was in the area and was gonna go get lunch…” Steadily, Hongbin’s voice began to lose confidence until he had to resort to inelegantly forcing out the rest of his sentence, “AndIwaswonderingifyouwantedtocome?”

Wonshik’s brows flew up, “What? Sorry, I couldn’t get that last part.”

He could feel his cheeks warming up, but he persisted. He already dug half of his grave, “Do you want to go out and grab something? I know a cafe on fifth.”

“Oh,” Hongbin didn’t know how it was possible for Wonshik to look any brighter, but he did in that instance, “Sure! I’m down!”

Hongbin was thankful he didn’t faint, but he had to lean on the counter for support. Holy shit he had a lunch date with Wonshik. Okay, maybe not date, but it was going to be the two of them sitting at a table  _ together _ . In that moment, Hongbin not only wanted to thank the deities but also Taekwoon who was definitely going to be his best man at his and Wonshik’s wedding.

No, he was getting way too ahead of himself. Relax, just breathe and act like a normal person. Except he hasn’t been normal since he met Wonshik. He was so fucked.

“Cool! When’s your lunch break?” Hongbin pulled out his phone to check the time. It was almost 12, which was usually a good time for a lunch break.

“At twelve, but I can leave a few minutes early. Not a lot of people come in around now anyways,” Wonshik said, shrugging. “Let me go grab my wallet.”

“Yeah, sure!” Once Wonshik retreated into the back, Hongbin dropped into a squat, covering his hands over his mouth to keep any excited noises from leaving. He pinched himself a few times to make sure this was all real; that he could spend an hour talking to Wonshik and it would be acceptable. Oh god, what were they going to talk about? Hongbin was terrible at small talk for prolonged periods of time. Absolutely awkward at it, which was why he went out of his way to get out of conversations that dragged on too long. 

“Are you okay?” Wonshik was standing behind him, looking down at him with concern.

Hongbin shot up, “Yeah, fine! Just, uh, dropped my phone. You ready to go?”

“Yeah, just gotta lock up and put up the sign.” Once Wonshik did that, they walked the few blocks over to the cafe. During the walk, they talked about how their weeks have been going and when the next heat wave was coming. At the cafe, they both took their time looking at the menu before individually ordering their food. Wonshik didn’t want to fight over the bill since he was tired of doing it with one of his hyungs.   

When Hongbin dropped into the chair with his pesto chicken sandwich and iced green tea, he noticed there was a couple sitting on the other side of the cafe behind Wonshik in his line of vision. The guy was feeding the girl a forkful of salad, which the girl happily accepted with a shy giggle. She then reached over to hit the guy’s arm in embarrassment before stealing back her fork. Hongbin cringed at the blatant display of affection.  

Wonshik caught him cringing, then looked behind  him to see the couple after putting his stuff onto the table. He turned back around to face Hongbin and asked, “Do you know them?”

“No–” Hongbin focused back on Wonshik, mortified at being caught, “no, just, uh…”

Hongbin ate his sandwich, speaking only after he swallowed, “Do they really need to flaunt around like that in public?” In actuality, Hongbin was sure he wouldn’t mind it if it was him and his significant other. But, being single and seeing couples having the type of good time Hongbin longed for made him petty.  

“Oh,” Wonshik looked crestfallen and mouthed at his iced americano awkwardly, “I don’t know, I think it’s cute.”

“No, I mean,” shit, he had gone and done it now, “I guess I’m… kind of jealous?”

Wonshik peered up at him from above his glasses curiously, “Jealous?”

Hongbin took a sip of his drink (which was really good, along with the sandwich. Taekwoon really knew his eateries), “It’s been awhile since I dated anyone.”

“Really?” Wonshik sounded genuinely surprised for some reason, “You look like one of those guys who has girls flinging themselves at their feet.”

Hongbin blushed when he realized what Wonshik was implying. He really wasn’t  _ that _ good looking but apparently Wonshik thought he was attractive enough to have girls throwing themselves at him.

“I’m really not,” Hongbin laughed, “I mean the art majors are always asking me to pose for them, but I don’t think any of them are that into me.” Though that was mostly Sanghyuk’s fault for filling half of his portfolio with the figure studies he had done based on Hongbin and then displaying it for all to see. 

“How could anybody be that blind?” Wonshik questioned passionately, but then caught himself and coughed awkwardly into his hand. “I just think it’s a waste since you’re perfect.”

“Perfect?” Hongbin’s eyes lit up with promises of mischief, even though all he wanted to do was fall over onto the ground and cry about how Wonshik thought he was perfect.“Perfect how?”

Wonshik looked like a deer caught in headlights, just now realizing what had come out of his mouth. Hongbin was going to catalogue this image into his brain among all the other images and memories he has saved up concerning Wonshik.

“I–I–I, w–well your face is,” Wonshik then covered his face with both of his hands and moaned in pain.

“What, so you only like me for my face?” Hongbin teased further, laughing wholeheartedly at what was happening. It was easy to fall back on familiar ground. It gave Hongbin a moment to collect himself and recalibrate, but also gave Wonshik the chance to retract his words. Hongbin didn’t need any false hope so if Wonshik was just kidding around, Hongbin was giving him the chance to admit it. 

“No!” Wonshik screeched out, lowering his hands to uncover his eyes. “You’re fun to talk to, really chill, and attractive to boot. I don’t get how you’re single.” 

If Hongbin was an arrogant asshole, he would’ve asked Wonshik if he wanted to be the one to change his relationship status. But, he couldn’t be cheesey, even if his life depended on it. Instead, Hongbin covered his face with his hand bashfully and turned his head. It was overwhelming enough to know that Wonshik was serious and thought that way about him...but to think Hongbin might have a chance?

“Oh my god, don’t look at me,” Hongbin wheezed, trying his best to hold in his cry of joy, “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Did that make you uncomfortable? Oh, shit, I didn’t mean to do that. I can take it back,” Wonshik shook his hands wildly, equally as flustered as Hongbin.

“No, I’m really self-conscious when it comes to this sort of stuff. Don’t take it back, I honestly appreciate it,” Hongbin insisted. Was this how Taekwoon felt whenever they playfully complimented him on his strong points? Maybe he shouldn’t tease him about it as much anymore because Hongbin seriously thought he might combust.  

“Oh thank god,” Wonshik breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his hands. His cheeks were still pink and he stared down at that table, unable to meet Hongbin’s eyes, “There are some guys who are weird about getting compliments from other guys so...”

Hongbin fanned his face erratically, not daring to face Wonshik, “A compliment is a compliment. It’s silly to be butthurt about gender.”

“Liking something really shouldn’t matter if you’re a guy or girl.” Hongbin briefly peeked over at Wonshik, who was now facing him with a small smile and an unreadable expression. Hongbin jumped and covered his face again, “I said don’t look at me!”

\---

Hongbin got Wonshik’s number and kakao out of their lunch meeting (he refused to call it a date because he wasn’t that desperate). Hongbin also learned that Wonshik went to the same university as him but was in the music department. He wondered if they ever crossed paths but he doubted they did since the music and art studios were on opposite ends of the large campus. Maybe when classes start up, he’ll be able to see Wonshik more often. But at this moment in their lives, their schedules barely matched up so Hongbin wasn’t able to hang out with Wonshik much except during his lunch break.  

They message sort of regularly too, though it was usually about random things. Sometimes Hongbin will learn something new about Wonshik through their text conversations, like the genre of music Wonshik liked, or his irrational fear of bugs. He was protective of his younger sister, which carried over to how he treated his female friends. Wonshik wasn’t a morning person and usually did most of his work at night, much like Hongbin. 

There were a few nights when Hongbin would accidentally fall asleep mid-text. After a while, Wonshik caught on and would text him “good night and sweet dreams” if Hongbin failed to respond after thirty minutes and if it was almost two in the morning. Hongbin will never admit how his face would warm up at a simple five word text.  

It took Hongbin a few weeks to realize he was head over heels in love with Wonshik. He looked forward to seeing Wonshik so much that Hongbin didn’t even care if it was zero or forty degrees Celsius outside. Wonshik’s messages brought Hongbin joy, even if it was about how Wonshik was trapped in his apartment because there was a big ass spider outside his door.

Hongbin had it bad– that much was obvious. 

His friends, on the other hand, were tired of the amount of pining Hongbin was doing in their group chat.

_ j.hwanie _ : HURRY UP AND MAKE A MOVE ALREADY (　ﾟДﾟ)＜!!

_ cha.nnn _ :  I’m sure he feels the same way

_ cha.nnn _ : Who can resist our adorable Kongie? ♡＾▽＾♡

_ j.hwanie _ : AT LEAST GET LAID OR SOMETHING (」゜ロ゜)」

_ hshyuk _ : this is like ur classic shoujo plotline

_ hshyuk _ : girl secretly likes the guy from afar

_ hshyuk _ : thinks he could never like her but he also likes her

_ hshyuk _ : and then they get stuck together

_ hshyuk _ : and then have lots of sex

_ hshyuk _ : and they lived happily ever after :)

_ cha.nnn _ : NO 

_ cha.nnn _ : NO SEX

_ cha.nnn _ : YOU ARE A BABY DON’T TALK ABOUT INAPPROPRIATE THINGS (/ﾟДﾟ)/

_ hshyuk _ : im 19

_ hshyuk _ : i can go to clubs and do xxx and xxx :)  

_ j.hwanie _ : careful hyukie

_ j.hwanie _ : you might give our dear hyung a heart attack (*≧艸≦)

_ redbean93: _ lol rip

_ hshyuk _ : rip

_ hshyuk _ : but srsly hongbin hyung

_ hshyuk _ : step up ur game

_ hshyuk _ : i dont remember naming this group chat hongbin’s love life struggles

_ redbean93 _ : 1st of all how dare u compare my life to that predictable shoujo shit

_ redbean93 _ : 2nd! sex with an angel is sacrilegious 

It was an early Friday night and Hongbin had resorted to venting his feelings to the group chat because Wonshik was busy tonight. He was bored and he wasn’t in the mood to play video games. Hongbin fell backwards onto his bed, phone held over his chest and groaned. He wasn’t sure how long he laid there but he must’ve fallen asleep at some point because he was roused awake by his chest buzzing. His phone was still on his chest and he flipped it up to see what the notification was for. 

_ jung.taek _ : Be at Elysium by 9

Hongbin stared at the message sent individually to him bleary eyed with only one eye barely open. He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand, which read 7:30. Elysium was a club that wasn’t within walking distance and going on the journey was too much for his tired brain. Though, what stood out most was... 

_ redbean93 _ : y r u telling me to go to a club

_ redbean93 _ : i didnt kno u went to clubs

_ redbean93 _ : and that club is far

_ jung.taek _ : Just go 

And then a second later.

_ jung.taek _ : ...Please

_ redbean93 _ : y

_ jung.taek _ : Do it

_ redbean93 _ : y tho

_ redbean93 _ : its so far away too

_ jung.taek _ : I’ll be at your place in an hour

_ redbean93 _ : yaaaaahh!!!!

_ redbean93 _ : answer meeee pabooo-hyung!!!

Three minutes later and Taekwoon still hadn’t responded. He knew how stubborn Taekwoon could be and he could never figure out his hyung’s intentions behind anything until after the fact. He let out a frustrated groan and rolled himself off his bed. If he was going to see Taekwoon in an hour, he should probably not risk getting death. 

_ redbean93 _ : im very sorry hyungnim

\---   

“Oh my god, what’s the squirt doing here,” Hongbin jabbed his finger at Sanghyuk’s forehead through the open front passenger window of Taekwoon’s car.

Sanghyuk pushed Hongbin’s finger away and leaned back into the car seat, “I’m going to the club so I can do  _ this _ and  _ that _ . You look like you plan on getting  _ this _ and  _ that _ .”

He looked down at his clothes– he just had on jeans and a gray t-shirt. Hongbin even gelled his hair so that his bangs swept up and across, exposing his forehead. Though he didn’t do it to score a one-night stand so he disregarded what Sanghyuk said.  

“Oh my god,” Hongbin said again, kneeling so he could see Taekwoon, who was stubbornly staring out his own window, “Did you coerce hyung? You took advantage of our hyung’s frail heart.”

Sanghyuk shrugged at him with a “what can you do” expression. Hongbin rolled his eyes and then opened Sanghyuk’s car door, “Out.”

“What, why? My butt was here first,” Sanghyuk reached out to grab the door so he could defiantly shut it. Hongbin smiled, the same smile he would give people before he absolutely destroyed them in a game. Sanghyuk knew the look, so he locked the door and rolled the window up a bit so Hongbin couldn’t reach inside to grab Sanghyuk or unlock the door.

Hongbin raised his fist and shook it menacingly at Sanghyuk, who watched like he was an innocent child. With resignation, he tugged on the back seat car door, waiting for Taekwoon to unlock it. Once he did, Hongbin plopped himself in the seat behind Sanghyuk’s and slammed the door shut.

“You don’t need to close it that hard,” Taekwoon said with slight annoyance as he pulled away from the curb. Hongbin ignored him in favor of taking his phone out, wondering if he should inform Hakyeon about this impromptu get together.

“I wonder what Hakyeon-hyung will say if he knew about this,” Hongbin wondered aloud casually as he lifted his phone up. Hongbin met Taekwoon’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Sanghyuk-ah,” Taekwoon said as he fluidly changed lanes.

Sanghyuk suddenly grabbed Hongbin’s phone with a sheepish smile, “Sorry, hyung.” Hongbin chased after his phone with his hand, “Yah!” This was suspicious. 

“Oh, are you wearing eyeliner?” Sanghyuk pulled down his sun visor and flipped open the mirror so he could spy on Hongbin, “Hope you snag a cutie.” 

Hongbin glared at Sanghyuk through the mirror, who returned it with a cheeky smile. He reached his hands around the headrest to wrap his hands around Sanghyuk’s throat. Sanghyuk lunged forward and away, laughing. 

“Stop messing around in the car,” Taekwoon scolded, turning to glare at both of them once they reached a red light. 

“Okay…” they mumbled in unison.

The rest of the seven minutes passed by quietly, with the occasional grumbling courtesy of Hongbin. He just wanted to know why Taekwoon was so insistent he tag along and he wanted his phone back from Sanghyuk. Once they found a parking spot on one of the side roads, Hongbin bolted out of the car onto the sidewalk and tugged open Sanghyuk’s door, hellbent on getting his phone back. 

“Give me my phone, you little shit!” Sanghyuk squealed, throwing his body over the middle console and into Taekwoon’s lap. Hongbin lunged over Sanghyuk and tried to reach Sanghyuk’s outstretched hand. When will this kid stop growing?

Taekwoon stared at them before plucking the phone out of Sanghyuk’s hand. 

“Ah!” “Hey!”

“You get this back if you don’t tell Hakyeon,” Taekwoon didn’t look like he was going to budge on the matter. Granted Taekwoon was the type to be stubborn as hell when it came to things that he wanted done. 

“Yeah, okay,” Hongbin sighed, presenting his hand palm side up to Taekwoon.

Taekwoon handed him his phone, “Don’t forget I know you posed nude.” Taekwoon was also the type to have blackmail on everybody. It was always the ones with the poker faces you had to look out for.

Hongbin grumbled out his compliance. Sometimes, it felt like Hakyeon was his real mom, considering how he feared his scolding much more than his own mother’s. 

“Now get out,” Taekwoon got out of the car and walked around to their side.

Hongbin dragged himself off of Sanghyuk and pocketed his phone. He used the car window’s reflection to fix his hair as Sanghyuk picked himself up and also jumped out.

“So what’re we here for?” Hongbin asked when Taekwoon started walking off, leaving Hongbin and Sanghyuk to chase after him. Hongbin caught up to him and kept pace with him on his left, hands stuffed in his pocket, “I didn’t bring enough thousand won bills for a strip tease.”

“Oh, I want a strip tease!” Sanghyuk’s eyes lit up.

Taekwoon rolled his eyes, “No strip teases. My friend is having a show tonight and I thought you might like it Hongbin.”

Hongbin looked over at Sanghyuk, who shrugged, then at Taekwoon, “Is...your friend a stripper?”

“Hyung, do you have a side life we don’t know about?” Sanghyuk added on, mildly amused. 

The two snickered as Taekwoon heaved a sigh, regret written all over his face, “No, he’s a rapper. I know hip hop isn’t your favorite genre, Hongbin, but he’s debuting some other songs you might like.”

“Uh huh,” Hongbin felt like there was more to it but didn’t ask. 

“And Sanghyuk, don’t drink too much. If you throw up in my car, I’m never making ramen for you ever again.”

“Okaaaay,” Sanghyuk droned out like a teenager who’s heard the same warning over and over.

It doesn’t take long for them to reach the club, Elysium written in curvy purple English above the entrance. Once they got past the bouncer, Sanghyuk flew toward the bar. Hongbin and Taekwoon followed after him, weaving through the crowd of people that were standing around small tables.

“Are you sure it was a good idea to bring the baby?” Hongbin yelled over the dance music at Taekwoon. Sanghyuk was like a toddler who just discovered the tantalizing taste of sugar, except he was a nineteen year old who just discovered alcohol. Granted Taekwoon won’t be drinking, but drunk Sanghyuk tended to be more than a handful. 

“It’s fine,” Taekwoon yelled back, “Let him live a little and learn what regret feels like in the morning.” Hongbin snorted, liking Taekwoon’s thought process, “At least he’s limited by the size of his wallet, which we all know isn’t big.”

By the time they reach the bar, Sanghyuk already had a drink in his hand and was happily sipping at a Long Island. Hongbin shook his head at Sanghyuk in disappointment. “Two vodka shots and an ice water,” he yelled out to the bartender and slapped down the bills.

“Like you’re any better!” Sanghyuk stuck his tongue out at him. Taekwoon placed himself between Sanghyuk and Hongbin, running his hand through his hair tiredly. 

“I’m not looking to get drunk, you know,” Hongbin retorted, accepting the shots and passing the water to Taekwoon, “That’s the difference between a hyung and a dongsaeng.”

Taekwoon snorted into his water, “I’m the only one with a license. That’s the real difference between a hyung and a dongsaeng.”

Hongbin knocked back both shots, and turned around so he could lean his elbows and back against the bar, “I’m working on it. When does your friend come on anyways?”

Taekwoon lifted his wrist to check his watch, though he had to squint his eyes to properly see, “In a few minutes.”

“Alright,” Hongbin bit back a yawn as he took out his phone to help pass the time. The vodka helped to wake him up a bit, but it did nothing for his boredom. Taekwoon and Sanghyuk are talking about something, but he couldn’t hear over the music and he doesn’t pay much attention to what they’re talking about. 

“Yo, what’s good everybody?!” Hongbin was pulled away from his phone when the crowd (mostly girls but there were more than a handful of guys) screamed out in response to the deep voice. He slipped his phone into his pocket and watched a guy– tall, hair slicked back, sunglasses, black t-shirt, ripped jeans, silver necklaces and earrings, and timberlands– walked onto the mini stage next to the DJ. Damn, this guy just screamed hip hop but  _ damn _ his arm muscles weren’t bad.

“Nice! Let’s keep this energy goin’!” the crowd cheered again. A girl next to Hongbin screamed so loud that Hongbin could feel his eardrum ringing.

“I’ve got a new song lined up that I’ve been workin’ on for a while and I can’t wait to show you guys. It’s different from my usual stuff but I hope you guys enjoy it!” the guy laughed slowly into the mic, adjusting his sunglasses. It reminded Hongbin of Wonshik a bit, the way they adjusted their glasses with their middle finger. 

“But that’s not goin’ to be ‘til the end of the show,” the guy then pointed to the DJ, who nodded and bass-heavy music suddenly came on, “Now let’s get puuumped!”

The guy started to rap and for half of the songs, another person joined him on stage. The stuff he was rapping about was good and the beat was catchy, but it could only hold his attention for so long. By the time the fifth song ended, Hongbin was thinking about what he was going to eat for lunch the next day.

“This next song is a song I’ve poured a lot of love into,” the guy said after he took a few mouthfuls of water from a bottle. He fixed his sunglasses and scratched the back of his neck with a shy smile, “It’s about two people who are in love but can never seem to catch each other.”

The crowd aww’d and the guy took the mic away from his mouth so he could laugh, “There’s a person I really like and he inspired this piece, but I made up half of the lyrics so don’t bash him. He’s a really funny guy and ok, I’m not here to preach about him. Anyways, my friend Yonghwa-hyung helped me with most of the vocal stuff since y’all know I’m not the best singer.”

“You sing fine Ravi-ah!” a girl yelled, catching the guy– Ravi– off guard. Hongbin couldn’t tell if he was blushing or not due to the bright lighting, but he was definitely shaking his head in disbelief, “You’re just biased! Anyways, get up here Yonghwa-hyung and show off your voice.”

Ravi clapped his hands together, and the crowd mimicked, as a guy jumped onto the stage. The two hugged and Yonghwa pulled up a stool for himself and one for Ravi. They both sat down and music that was much different than those that came before came on. Hongbin started moving his head a bit to the beat.  

“This is Home Alone. Hope you guys like it,” Ravi said before Yonghwa started singing.

_ Home alone on the holidays _ __  
_ Weekends without you _ _  
_ __ Are just like the weekdays

And then Ravi started rapping. 

_ Baby, are you busy? _ __  
_ Should I call you back later? _ __  
_ It’s not a big deal _ __  
_ But I know you like Park Hyoshin _ __  
_ This musical he’s in _ _  
_ __ First show’s this weekend

Call him shallow, but Hongbin’s attention was immediately captured when he heard Park Hyoshin’s name come out of Ravi’s mouth. Park Hyoshin was his favorite soloist of all time and it was good to know this Ravi guy had good taste in singers.

_ So if you have time _ __  
_ I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, I know _ __  
_ Of course work _ __  
_ Comes first, I know _ _  
_ __ Oh well, then how about Tuesday?

Ravi smiled with a bit of shame into the mic.

_ Oh wait, Tuesday I work overtime _ _  
_ _ I’m sorry, ok I’ll let you go _

_ As soon as I hang up _ __  
_ I miss you, I miss you _ __  
_ I miss you, I miss you _ __  
_ I don’t even have any damn money _ _  
_ __ But why don’t I even have the time

Hongbin thought Ravi was feeling upset, but his sunglasses hid his eyes from the world. The rest of the song goes similarly and Yonghwa sung the chorus with some variation to the lyrics. He could feel himself resonating with most of Ravi’s rap, seeing as that was how he felt whenever Wonshik was busy and couldn’t talk to him. 

When the song ended, the crowd applauded wildly. Ravi and Yonghwa bowed to the audience and then high-fived each other before Yonghwa jogged off the stage.

“That’s all I’ve got for tonight guys! Thanks for coming and supporting me!” Ravi waved at everyone and then a hand kiss before he walked off the stage, causing the girls to squeal. Hongbin rolled his eyes but he had to give it up to the guy for being a rapper who knew there was more to rap about than women and sex. Though in regards to women and sex, Ravi knew how to use his sex appeal to his advantage, occasionally lifting his shirt to reveal a good set of abs.  

Hongbin stretched his back out a bit before he turned around to lean his arms on the bar. He looked over at Taekwoon, who was staring at him, and Sanghyuk, who was drunk and clinging onto Taekwoon. 

“So?” Taekwoon asked him, a brow raised in expectation.

“Your friend was pretty good,” Hongbin said, “He’s got class.”

Taekwoon nodded and then pushed Sanghyuk off of his arm, “You should tell him yourself.”

“I– what?” Hongbin leaned away from Taekwoon, “Why can’t you tell him for me?”

“We’re not going to be leaving for a while so might as well,” Taekwoon stated. Hongbin couldn’t fight Taekwoon about it since he was his ride home. Hongbin was just mostly bothered with being forced to talk with a stranger, even if he thought said stranger had good taste in singers.

Hongbin resigned himself to it and asked for another shot of vodka. Might as well, if he was going to be there for a while. As soon as he got his shot, Hongbin heard someone greet Taekwoon. He picked up the glass and peered over his shoulder to see Ravi, dripping in sweat, in front of Taekwoon. It looked like Ravi changed into a new shirt and shed the necklaces, but he still had his sunglasses on.

“Hyung, you came!” Ravi exclaimed happily. If even a random guy reminded Hongbin of Wonshik, then Hongbin must really be a lovestruck fool. 

“Of course I did, stupid.” Taekwoon rolled his eyes and then gestured to Sanghyuk, “You already know Sanghyuk.”

“You let him drink? He’s like a baby!” Ravi then put his hand on Sanghyuk’s shoulder, “Drink some water man. No more alcohol.”

“Okaay mom number two,” Sanghyuk slurred out. Did a Long Island really turn Sanghyuk into a slurring mess? Hongbin hoped it did because it would serve as good teasing material and the right to call him a lightweight. 

“And this is–” Hongbin cut off Taekwoon, making a show of twirling himself around to face the newcomer, “Hongbin and I’m tipsy at best. I’m not the biggest fan of rap but I thought you were pretty good and classy so cheers.” Hongbin then knocked back his shot and gave the guy his signature dazzling smile.

Taekwoon smacked himself on the face and he guessed Ravi was staring at him– he couldn’t tell with the sunglasses and all. 

“Hongbin?!” Hongbin smiled awkwardly at Ravi, “Yeah, that’s me?”

Taekwoon huffed, kicking Ravi’s leg, “Take off your sunglasses. You’re going to mess up your eyes like that.” 

“They make me look cool,” Ravi pouted at Taekwoon. 

Wait.

Hongbin narrowed his eyes at Ravi and pushed himself off of the bar to get a closer look at the other. That pout… No way…

“We’re going over there so you can work things out,” Taekwoon said distantly, not caring too much if he was heard or not. 

“Holy fucking shit, Wonshik?” Hongbin yelled as Ravi– no, Wonshik– took off his sunglasses to hang from his shirt collar.

“Holy fucking shit,” Hongbin repeated, pointing at Wonshik’s face and then looking back and forth between him and Taekwoon’s retreating back.

“Holy _fucking_ _shit_!”

“Uh–” Wonshik was looking at him with wide eyes, like he was the one that was rightfully in shock and not Hongbin. Except Hongbin was currently taking in so much all at once. Like, for instance…

“You were hiding this kind of body under all of those button ups?!” Hongbin jabbed his finger into Wonshik’s stomach and it was  _ solid _ . He then grabbed Wonshik’s bicep and squeezed it in amazement. It was equally as hard and  _ big _ . 

“And your forehead. It  _ exists _ ,” Hongbin pointed at it, and then at Wonshik’s eyes. Wonshik stared at it, like it was about to do something to him.

“What is with this stage gap?!?” he then motioned at  _ everywhere _ . “You look weird without your glasses.” Wonshik covered his face in a fit of laughter, “ _ Really _ ? Everybody says the same thing.”

Hongbin crossed his arms with a scowl, “Yeah, well, you look super different, like a different person weird.”

“Is there anything else?” Wonshik wiped a tear from his eye.

“No I, wait–” Hongbin covered his mouth and turned himself a bit away so he could quietly ask, “Was that song about me?”

“Oh,” Wonshik blushed heavily, walking up the bar so he could bury his face in his arms, “Oh god. I can’t believe I said all of that stuff on stage. I didn’t know you were going to be here…”

Hongbin joined him, unsure if he was giggling because of the vodka or because everything was so surreal, “So, you really like me, huh?”

Wonshik groaned, “Oh god, please kill me.” 

“When I was listening to that song, I thought about you the whole time,” Hongbin admitted, resting his cheek on a propped up hand so he could stare at Wonshik, “About how I hate how we can’t meet up outside of that one hour and how I’m always missing you when we aren’t talking.”

Wonshik slowly raised his head, “What?”

“What happened to all that swagger you had before? Do I really need to spell it out?!” Hongbin complained. He probably would need to, since it seemed like Wonshik was on a three minute delay. Well, here goes that liquid courage.  

“I–” Hongbin snagged his hand around the collar of Wonshik’s shirt, knocking against his sunglasses.

“Really–” He cocked his head to the side and lowered his eyelids, licking his lips. 

“Like–” He then pulled Wonshik in so close that their noses were touching and he could smell the faint scent of sweat underlying a subtle cologne. Wonshik was staring at him, still wide eyed. For a second, he looked down at Hongbin’s lips, then back up.  

“You–” Hongbin pushed his lips up against Wonshik’s limp ones. Just for fun, Hongbin dragged his tongue across Wonshik’s lips before releasing him.

“Too.” He moved away and patted Wonshik on the shoulder like Hongbin was congratulating him for being a good champ. Wonshik blinked a few times, still registering what had just happened. He touched his lips gently and then licked them. 

“Am I dead?” Wonshik squeaked out.

“You’re going to be if you don’t stop looking like a fish out of water,” Hongbin hissed at him. “I should be the one surprised that the dorky cute boy-next-door printer shop guy is also a sexy, ripped rapper in his free time, oh–!”

Wonshik grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Hongbin gasped in surprise and then hummed happily as he wrapped his arms around Wonshik’s neck.

He was definitely fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha get it? like picture perfect but...like...y'know...printer...?? 
> 
> in case you want to hmu or want to see me complain about writing  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/zeroo_cb)


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